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Thursday, July 5, 2012

Six Nations International Dinner

June 23rd was our last International Dinner for the 2011/2012 year. Folks had been asking for a Native dinner and I thought it would be a great way to end the year.

This dinner celebrated the Six Nations: Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca & Tuscarora. The evening's contributions came to 170 pounds, with the total from the four dinners equalling 428 pounds, exceeding last year's total of 412 pounds from six dinners!

As it was to be an especially busy weekend I had difficulty securing someone to share. I was fortunate though to connect with Allan Jamieson Sr. and his son of Neto Hatinakwe Onkwehowe.

I explained to them how important it was to have a representative, saying,

"I've had bands come who showed off their unique instruments and then played a few round and I'd like to keep doing that since those moments were and are so well loved."

They were eager to help! Allan Jamieson Jr. came with wampum, a headdress, maps,a water drum and so many other things. He sang, told stories and shared the rich history of the peoples of the Six Nations.

Over 48 people gathered for this final dinner. The food and company was amazing and I was astounded by the questions and comments.

We also featured the strawberry. A medicine plant. We had it in drink form, hulled and cut fresh, in rice and as homemade preserves. The strawberries were donated by friends Dave and Michael, Kate and Kevin, and the Lexington Co-op!

I had Stephanie, her aunt Cindy and another good friend Kate, help me in the kitchen and I was thankful for the many hands and happy voices!

Here he shares a New Women's Shuffle song and a story of how the Bear Clan became keepers of the knowledge of medicinal plants.

I want to extend my special heartfelt gratitude to Allan and his father, Stephanie and her Aunt Cindy, Sam Hill and his mother Lois for contributing to the success of this dinner. Without their willingness to speak on their heritage, personal experiences and to share their unique perspectives, this would not have been possible.

I also want to thank all of you who continue to come to these with an open mind and a ready hand and heart!

I will be continuing these dinners next year. The line up will be: Austria, Japan, India, France, Greece and Mexico.

I was so proud to contribute my small part to the celebration!! It's just not a Native dinner without fryebread! It's always the highlight of my day to share time in a kitchen and trade stories - so many of my happy memories come from being in a kitchen, sharing work and laughter with family and friends. There is no satisfaction quite like feeding people's bodies and souls with good food. Thanks so much for putting your effort into such a wonderful series of dinners - now that I've been introduced to them I can't wait till next year!